Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-27
MILLIONS IN JEOPARDY.
CHICAGoS GREAT PORK PACKING
DISTRICT IN IMMINENT PERM

twenty-five Millions of Property Men,
aced with Observation-Disclosures Million
of 1t Swept Away-several Firemen In
jured and Two Thousand Live Hogs
Fed to the FIames-A Stubborn Fight.
CHICAGO, June 27.-Shortly before 5o'clock
Sunday morning fire broke out in the large
packing house of the Chicago Packing and
Provision company at the Union stock yards
1t was already under great Roadway when
discovered, and spread rapidly. It soon swept
across from the packing house to large stor-
age house in which were 5000 live hogs and
1900 barrels of mess pork, the latter
belonging to Armour g. Co Before the fire
gained much Roadway in the storage house
some Of the hogs were driven ont, and about
800 barrels of mess pork saved. The rest of
the hogs and pork was consumed. The en-
tire fire department fought the flames with
energy and peristency, but the packing COM
pany's buildings were entirely destroyed. A
storage-house owned by Armour & Co. was
somewhat damaged The plant of the Chi
cago Packing and Provision company was
valued at 100000. The company had just
closed its season, and was beginning to pre-
pare for the fall trade, and in consequence
had comparatively little stock on hand. Its
loss is estimated at about $3.50, 600 Ar
mOurs loss and the loss of other parties
owning goods in the storage house destroyed
will aggregate about S400, 600 All the par
ties are amply insured.
The buildings burned were located at the
intersection of Packers and Central avenues,
near the western confines of the stock yards,
and Familiarity known as "0ld Hutchs con-
Germ" Both huge structures were four sto-
ries in height, built Of brick upon heavy
stone foundation The slaughter house prop
Ell was 800 feet in length and fully 600 feet in
depth, being connected by a wooden bridge
with the top story OF the warehouse, build
ing 300 by $50 feet i'll dimensions, on the top
floor of which 1000 live hogs were kept in
readiness for killing. These hogs were
burned alive
Immediately south of Hutchinson's pack
ing house, across Packers avenue, is another
huge warehouse owned by the same COM
pany. 1t is also fonr-story building and
about 400 feet deep, with the same frontage
as the main building. 1t is filled from cellar
TO garnet with lard and packed provisions
and though the street is but fifty feet wide
and the heat was scOrching the timbers of the
roof several times during the day. it was
saved by the heroic work of the firemen, who
had to be relieved from time to time
Not less than So 900, coo worth of property
was separated from the huge burning pile
only by several alleys and Packers avenue,
and time and again the roofs of these ex-
posed structures, as well as the ratings and
fences of the cattle pens, caught fire, which
however, was quickly extinguished
Two fortunate circumstances prevented
what readily could have turned out to be the
greatest fire Chicago has known since 1871
The wind. though from the west driving
sparks and cinders right over the pens to the
Transit house, was not strong, and there was
abundance of water The fire, which covers
an area of several acres bids fair to last for
| several days yet, but there is no danger of its
spread
The planking and gearing, all soaked with
grease, burned like tallow candles, and when
| the great rendering tanks were reached an
explosion sent the slaves flying in all direc~
| tons, liberating volumes of fat and grease
which were in the twinkiing of an eye con-
verified into streams of liquid fire, defying the
volumes of water poured upon it. Shoulders
of bacon and pieces of ribs went up high into
| the air with kissing sound as if giant rock
cts had been set off; streams of grease and
lard ran down the walls, rendering any
service that water might do absolutely use
less. The flames ragged with fury that BAT
fed every effort. Above their roars the
Squeals of the thousands of hogs were heard
until they were stifed by the volumes of
thick and siCkening smoke. Then their car
cases, too, added fuel to the flames. The lat
ter rose up into the air a solid pillar of fire,
hundreds of feet in diameter Lard and
grease flowed ankle deep i'll the CUTTERS and
for hours the whole stock yards region was
in imminent danger
In the Immediate neighborhood of the
burning buildings the heat was almost I'M
bearable The tiremen bad to fight
the flames from behind doors which
had been torn from their hinges
to serve as cover but despite this the
pipemen had to be wetted down from time to
| time to enable them to withstand the scorch-
ing air At such times they were invisible
in the steam which rose from their rubber
coats.
While the fremen were busy fighting the
flames, a number Of them being on top of a
line of freight-cars Ii a good position
TO send streams of water into the
seethinG mas, suddenly a terrific explosion
rent the air. followed by q shower of bricks,
parts of iron and machinery and heavy
timbers- One of the huge rendering tanks
| connected with the fertilizlng department of
| the Chicago Packing and Provision company
had given way under the strain of its steam
| ing contents, and wrecked large section of
the building. A wide breach was torn in
I the east wall and the debris fell with crash
| into the roaring flames, which shot high up
| into the air with a hiss like that of dozen
locomotives.
Two members of one of the Town of Lake
companies were seriously hurt by the explo-
sion, and had to be borne from the field.
This company had been stationed on the ton
OF one of the freight cars Lieutenant Elliott
was struck by a flying timber and hurled
from the car to the ground, where he landed
unconscious Besides serious external
wounds he sustained internal injuries which
makes his recovery doubtful Ppeman Baker
had his left ankle broken by piece of iron.
The remaining members of the company were
hurled to the ground by the conclusion, but
| escaped without serious hern.
The conlagration was under control by lC
O'Clock Sunday morning.
LATER-President Henry Botsford now
estimates the loss on the buildings at 500, 00G
| or over. and the loss on the stock ut about
| 500, coo
| The Imprisoned Silver Miners.
VIRGINIA CITY, New, June 2I-Sixty